Lexical Summary
Manoach: Manoah
Original Word:מָנוֹחַ
Part of Speech:Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration:Manowach
Pronunciation:mah-NO-akh
Phonetic Spelling:(maw-no'-akh)
KJV: Manoah
NASB:Manoah
Word Origin:[the same asH4494 (מָנוַֹח - rest)]
1. rest
2. Manoach, an Israelite
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Manoah
The same asmanowach; rest; Manoach, an Israelite -- Manoah.
see HEBREWmanowach
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
nuachDefinitionfather of Samson
NASB TranslationManoah (18).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
II.
18Judges 13:2,8 15t.
Judges 13;
Judges 16:31, .
Topical Lexicon
Identity and Family ContextManoah was a Danite from the town of Zorah in the Shephelah of Judah. Scripture introduces him as the husband of a barren woman whom the Angel of the LORD visited, promising a son who would “begin the deliverance of Israel from the hand of the Philistines” (Judges 13:5). Together, Manoah and his unnamed wife became the parents of Samson.
Setting in the Book of Judges
Manoah appears exclusively inJudges 13–16, during Israel’s cyclical decline marked by idolatry, oppression, and periodic deliverance. His account unfolds near the end of the Judges era, when Philistine domination weighed heavily on the tribes along the coastal plain and foothills.
Key Scenes Involving Manoah
1. First announcement to Manoah’s wife (Judges 13:2–7).
2. Manoah’s intercessory prayer: “Please, LORD, may the man of God You sent to us come again to teach us how to raise the boy who is to be born” (Judges 13:8).
3. The Angel’s return and Manoah’s questions regarding the child’s future (Judges 13:11–14).
4. The attempt to honor the Angel with hospitality, redirected toward sacrificial worship (Judges 13:15–18).
5. The whole burnt offering: “When the flame went up from the altar toward heaven, the Angel of the LORD ascended in the flame. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell facedown to the ground” (Judges 13:19–20).
6. Holy fear and reassurance: Manoah cried, “We are going to die, for we have seen God!” but his wife reasoned, “If the LORD had meant to kill us, He would not have accepted a burnt offering” (Judges 13:22–23).
7. Burial reference: Samson was laid “in the tomb of Manoah his father” (Judges 16:31).
Faith, Prayer, and the Angel of the LORD
Manoah’s narrative is one of earnest prayer answered by divine revelation. His petition for further instruction models the humility of a parent seeking God’s guidance. The Angel of the LORD—whom Scripture presents not merely as an emissary but as a visible manifestation of Yahweh—addresses Manoah’s concerns, thereby affirming that God equips those He calls.
Sacrificial Worship and Theophany
Manoah’s instinct to provide food for the mysterious visitor was redirected toward an offering, highlighting the priority of worship over hospitality when encountering the divine. The miraculous ascent of the Angel in the flame authenticated the encounter, evoked awe, and reinforced the holiness of God. Manoah’s fear of death reflects Israel’s conviction that seeing God meant certain demise (Exodus 33:20), yet the preservation of the couple underscored divine grace.
Parental Stewardship of a Nazarite
The stipulations communicated to Manoah and his wife—abstinence from wine, unclean food, and never cutting the child’s hair (Judges 13:4–5, 13–14)—placed lifelong Nazarite obligations upon Samson. The instructions stress parental responsibility: godly upbringing begins before birth, demands obedience to revealed standards, and influences national destiny.
Lessons for Contemporary Believers
• Prayer for guidance is met by God’s self-disclosure.
• Husbands and wives share complementary roles in discerning and obeying God’s word.
• True worship centers on sacrifice that God ordains, not on human initiative.
• Fear of God, tempered by trust in His character, leads to deeper understanding rather than despair.
• Parents serve as stewards of children who ultimately belong to the LORD and His redemptive purposes.
Connections in Redemptive History
The Angel of the LORD episode anticipates later theophanies culminating in the incarnation. Samson’s miraculous birth, announced by an angel, parallels Isaac, Samuel, and ultimately Jesus Christ, pointing to God’s pattern of raising deliverers through divine promise. Manoah’s role underscores the sovereignty of God in choosing unlikely vessels to further His plan of salvation.
Later Mentions and Legacy
After the burial notice inJudges 16:31, Scripture records no further activity by Manoah. His tomb, however, became the resting place of Samson, symbolizing the connection between father and son in Israel’s collective memory. Jewish tradition cites Manoah among righteous individuals who experienced direct angelic visitation, while Christian commentators often spotlight his prayer life as exemplary.
Summary of References
All eighteen occurrences of Manoah’s name cluster inJudges 13:2–22 andJudges 16:31, each reinforcing his identity as Samson’s father, a man of prayer, and a participant in a decisive theophany that shaped Israel’s deliverance story.
Forms and Transliterations
וּמָנ֤וֹחַ וּמָנ֥וֹחַ ומנוח מָנ֑וֹחַ מָנ֔וֹחַ מָנ֖וֹחַ מָנ֗וֹחַ מָנ֛וֹחַ מָנ֜וֹחַ מָנ֣וֹחַ מנוח mā·nō·w·aḥ maNoach mānōwaḥ ū·mā·nō·w·aḥ umaNoach ūmānōwaḥ
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